Category: Lifestyle

Meghan Markle‘s dad, Thomas Markle, says he’s happy that Prince Charles will take his place and walk Meghan down the aisle at her wedding to Prince Harry.

The palace confirmed on Thursday that Thomas would not be attending the wedding and walking Meghan down the aisle as originally anticipated. Thomas told TMZ that he spoke to Meghan and Harry on Thursday, and they told him of their plan to ask Harry’s father, Prince Charles, to do the honors, before they released the official news on Friday.

Thomas said that he’s “honored and grateful” that Charles will walk Meghan down the aisle in his absence.

Don’t miss out! Tune in to Meghan and Harry – a Fairy-Tale Wedding on Saturday, May 19, starting at 6 a.m. ET/ 3 a.m. PT on PeopleTV — now available on PeopleTV.com and on your favorite streaming device.

During his phone call with Harry and Meghan, Thomas said that Meghan told him that she loved him and was worried about his health. He reassured her that he was recovering after he said he underwent heart surgery on Wednesday.

Though Thomas won’t be in Windsor for the big day, he said he’ll be “proudly” watching from home. He added that he hopes to watch the wedding on television “in a secluded place with friends, hopefully with no press.”

Thomas first said that he wasn’t going to attend the wedding on Monday, a day after it was revealed he worked with a paparazzi agency to stage photographs ahead of the wedding. He said that he wouldn’t attend the wedding to avoid embarrassing Meghan or the royal family. On Tuesday, he said that he would attempt to attend the wedding, baring any health concerns. He said that he had suffered a heart attack the previous week, but …read more

Thrust into the spotlight as Meghan Markle prepares to marry Prince Harry on Saturday, the bride’s mother, Doria Ragland, has shared tea with Queen Elizabeth, stayed overnight at Meghan and Harry’s Kensington Palace home and joined her daughter at the hotel where she’ll spend her last night as a single woman — and that’s just in the two days since she arrived in London on Wednesday.

It’s a world of difference from the life Ragland, a 61-year-old yoga instructor and social worker, leads at home in Los Angeles. As Harry and Meghan gear up for their big day, here’s everything to know about the mother of the bride.

1. Ragland Keeps to Herself
She seems to live a quiet life,” a neighbor tells PEOPLE. “She is friendly, but doesn’t really seem to be close friends with any neighbors.”

2. She Loves Exercise — and Her Dogs!
Like her daughter Meghan, who has been spotted taking exercise classes in London, Ragland is “very physically active,” the neighbor tells PEOPLE. “She walks her dogs multiple times a day, or takes them hiking. She is often spotted heading out with her yoga mat.”

RELATED: Why Prince Charles Walking Meghan Markle Down the Aisle Will Be a Big Break in Royal Tradition

3. Meghan’s Mom Is a Happy, Dedicated Yogi
“She has been coming regularly for the past year,” says an employee at her yoga studio in California. “She seems very serious about her yoga practice. It’s clear that she isn’t at the studio to socialize. Still, she is very kind and pleasant. She always smiles.”

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4. Don’t Expect Her to Move Anytime Soon
According to her neighbor, Ragland shared with someone …read more

While this is far from your average wedding, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are still said to be suffering the “normal nerves” of any couple getting ready to tie the knot.

A royal source tells PEOPLE, “They are both ready. The last couple of days all their friends have been arriving. I think everything has started to feel very real after a long time planning.”

And when it comes to wedding planning, Meghan and Harry have decided every deal — big or small — together.

“All weddings are complicated to plan, and something on this scale is completely different. They have made every decision,” the source adds.

Don’t miss out! Tune in to Meghan and Harry – a Fairy-Tale Wedding on Saturday, May 19, starting at 6 a.m. ET/ 3 a.m. PT on PeopleTV — now available on PeopleTV.com and on your favorite streaming device.

Despite her pre-wedding jitters, Meghan looked confident and glamorous in a navy Roland Mouret’s Barwick Dress as she arrived with her mother Doria Ragland at the Cliveden House Hotel on Friday, where she will spend her last night as a single woman — and a commoner.

The soon-to-be royal gave a friendly wave to the crowd that had gathered outside of her hotel and told them she was feeling “wonderful, thank you.”

Elizabeth Porras, who traveled from San Francisco for the wedding, tells PEOPLE that Harry “had the wedding glow about him” as he and Prince William did an impromptu walkabout outside of Windsor Castle, where royal fans have already set up camp ahead of tomorrow’s festivities.

“He looked a little subdued, a little nervous, for sure,” Porras continued. “But that makes sense, it’s the night before his wedding. You could definitely see he had the wedding glow about him, which was really adorable. It’s so …read more

Surprising royal fans who had already set up camp ahead of Saturday’s royal wedding, William and his brother Prince Harry made an impromptu walkabout outside of Windsor Castle on Friday.

While shaking hands and greeting many of the spectators, William enquired whether anybody was free to babysit for him and his wife Kate Middleton.

After New York resident Janena Benjamin congratulated William on the birth of Prince Louis, his third child with wife Kate Middleton, he jokingly told the crowds, “We are looking for a babysitter if you are all free!”

RELATED: Prince Harry and Prince William Surprise Fans Camping Out for Royal Wedding: See the Photos!

Jane, from London, tells PEOPLE that after William’s request, “we said of course!”

“They are such lovely men,” she adds. “I have such a crush on them now. They were so lovely with the crowd, asking everyone where they were from.”

Don’t miss out! Tune in to Meghan and Harry – a Fairy-Tale Wedding on Saturday, May 19, starting at 6 a.m. ET/ 3 a.m. PT on PeopleTV — now available on PeopleTV.com and on your favorite streaming device.

RELATED: Every Single Photo of Prince Harry and Prince William Surprising Fans in Windsor Ahead of the Royal Wedding

Prince Harry and Prince William’s impromptu walkabout comes just one day after Kate was spotted making her way to Windsor Castle ahead of Harry and Meghan Markle‘s wedding rehearsal, which marked the first time she had been since out and about since giving birth to her third child on April 23.

Though she appeared on the steps of the Lindo Wing at St. Mary’s Hospital just hours after giving birth to introduce her new baby boy to the world — in …read more